The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-31

exceeds that sum very largely, while the drain
upon the citizens of this county was very
much larger, and probably nearly as
much in additional taxation and involuntary
contributions Add TO all this the AK which
our citizens have paid in consequence. which Is
not included in either of the items mentioned.
the which Marion county contributed to
put down the Rebellion amounts TO many mill
ions of dollars. As near as / can ascertain from
the statistics furnished by the Adiutant gen.
erals Office, Marion county furnished upward of
5000 men. One thousand of these. during the
war, were either killed, died of their wounds, or
of disease contracted in the service, and never
returned home. or If they did, only to be buried
with their friends. rather than in the field OF
the remaining soldiers who returned after the
hard service and exposure which they under
went. l estimate that not more than 20 per cent,
or. in round numbers. 1000. are now alive 1t
will not be many years when very few will answer
to the rol-call here, and their heroic deeds will
only be remembered in history. The personal
ity of the American volunteer is being rapidly
lost. and they live in the generation which has
come since the war very much as do the SOL
diers of the Revolution and the heroes of 1872
For the benefit of those who never saw COM
pany or regiment of volunteers in line. may
describe him as he was; and to those who actually
were in line and were part and parcel of that
great army, brief description of the volunteer
he entered the army may recall some pleasant
phases of that life to him. and not be unproit-
able on this occasion. There very few
trained soldiers in Indiana at the breaking out
of the war-not enough to furnish the field and
staff officers when the regiments were organized.
The ordinary company of soldiers was composed
of the younger men in the neighborhood III which
the company was raised, with here and there
graybeard But for the most part the volunteer
under the age of thirty. and just at that
period of life when his blood easily stirred
by appeal to his patriotism. Hurried together
from workshop and farm without military train
ing, but eager to bear part in the military opera
tions then imminent, the volunteer soldier at the
first call, with imperfect organizations. entered
the camps for hasty drill You will not forget
how the rich and the poor, the old and
the young, the mechanic, the laborer and
the farmer, stood in line the first time
as an embryo military organization. They
came from their homes with all sorts of impro-
vised uniforms The red shirt predominRted.
Many of them decorated these with stripes and
various attractions which grotesquely adorned
the shirt. which was the first uniform of the
American volunteers His trousers were the
same that he had on when he left the field and
shop. Boots, shoes, CATERS and all sorts of foot
wear found their way into camp. and hats that
would have compared favorabiy with those worn
by Falstaffs company were everywhere to be
seen. The company officers chosen were the
most popular men in the neighborhood, the cap
tain generally being n man of some prominence,
either from having been in the Mexican
because of his supposed kindness of heart, and
was elected on his merits and not because he was
supposed TO be a competent soldier. The lieu
tenants, sergeants and corporals were all elected
in the same way, and the relative merits and
demerits of these company organizations
was the standard of estimation in
which these officers were respective
ly held by men composing the company. 1t
Eever thought that anything but terms of
familiarity. such as had been enjoyed at home,
would exist during the period of their soldierly
duty. When he first went into camp q private
soldier had about much liberty the compa-
ny officers, the exception being only when guard
duty was be performed. Captains and lieu
tenants called faniliary by their first
more regarded than If the chevrons had been alb
sent from their arms If captain or lieutenant
insnlted one of the privates of his company he
was at first called upon, then and there, to de-
himself a o.
muscle
We knew little of the actualities of war at that
time. Every soldier had his grip-sack we'll
stored with clean shirts underwear and all the
elegant "nck-nacks" which mothers sisters and
sweethearts crowded upon him when he started
from home TO the front. / really think that the
first company to which / belonged would have
required more wagons to carry its stuff than
required by whole division cf the army three
years later.
At first If the sun was pretty warm, the men
did not hesitate to tell the captain the lieu
tenant that they had quite enough of the drill.
and if a majority was that way inclined the drill
ceased. l remember instance in which
first corporal whipped his colonel for attempting
to pass the guard-line, supDosing that he out
ranked him. His breach of military duty, how
ever, not regarded at headquarters
great crime, for he was promoted the next day.
The younger lioutenants, with their bright
uniforms, wore the first to receive contemptuous
treatment ut tho hands of the volunteer. Woe
to the young fellow who sported his first uniform
in an airy manner. The quips and yells when
were enough
rage the least sensitive. and often he would
acquire some name that would stick to him dur
ing his entire service.
The first battle changed all these scenes. The
bully and braggart either deserted went to
the hospital The old who started out in
the company with the boys fell by the wayside.
The consump tive, the lame the cripple and all
who did not possess constitutions like iron were
soon weeded out, and only those remained who
were true metal. 1t was. in fact, a test of the
survival of the fttest The volunteer
md mt hn hn Had ny1d 61Cns
pEined-that he must submit to the commands
OF one whom at home he might consider greatly
his inferior, and whose society he would shun in
the peaceful walks of life. He did this not be-
cause he was willing to submit to military
thority but out of the necessities of the and
because self-protection was the first law of nat
ure. He found that to be soldier he must sub
NIT to discipline. And l stop here to testify to
the fact that this was one of the greatest quail
ties which was developed during the war-the
voluntary submission of American citizen to
the harsh discipline of the camp and field.
Many man started outwith mis- first company
whose ferocious conduct at home and in camp
caused his comrades to remark that he would be
a lion on the day of battle; for he would take his
thumps in the fsticuffs without complaint and
was always ready for another on the least provo
cation He regarded first sort of
hero who would put to flight a dozen of the
enemy at first sight. Perchance there was a
mild hammered youth in the company who said
little had few companions. who bore the jeers
and contumely of his companions quietly and
without reply. Il was supposed that that fellow
would show the white feather on the first intima-
ton of battle, and he was generally regarded as
a person without grit, and, in the language of
the day. mo good" The surprise came when
the braggart deserted in the face of the enemy.
and the quiet. unostentatious boy became hon
hearted the day of battle These instances
are familiar to all who served in the army The
true soldier developed by the crucial test of bat
tie, and he generally the quiet, iEoffensive,
citizen In the army, as at home.
the garrulous. selfconceited, vain glorious per
son disappeared with the first battle, and at the
first smell of gunpowder
Our society of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie often holds camp fires in commemoration of
the camp fires of the march and the camp. /
need hardly tell any old soldier that these camp
fires are but mimicry of the real camp-fires that
the boys experienced in the army. Do you recog-
nze this pictures The scene is in Georgia. The
camp is woods. The doe-tent has been spread
The guard has been selected. and is on the line |
The hummer has reported, and the chickens and |
turkeys, or perhaps shoat or a leg of mutton, |
has been cooked and properly disposed of. The |